October 1, 1911.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



17 



Knife for 

 Tapping 

 Castilloa. 



The latex is then coagulated in round enamelled pans. About 

 a pint of late.x is poured into each pan together with one-third 

 of an ounce of a 40 per cent, solution of formaline, the two being 

 well stirred together. In the meantime a boiler of water has 

 been heated containing about one gram of 98 

 per cent, acetic acid per quart of water. When 

 the water is close to the boiling point three- 

 quarters of a quart is poured into each pan of 

 the latex. In this way the late.x is heated to 

 from 150 degrees to 160 degrees Fahr. and im- 

 mediately coagulates and floats on the top of 

 the water in sporgy cakes. These cakes are 

 pressed together and the water poured out 

 but is saved and the latex it contains secured 

 later. The coagulated cakes are immediately 

 rolled into thin sheets. These are placed again 

 in vats with clean water to which a very little 

 formaline has been added and allowed to re- 

 main there for a few hours and then removed 

 to the smoking and drying house, a building 

 with perforated iron floor, on which drying 

 racks are placed. 



The temperature in the smoking house is kept 

 at about 110 degrees Fahr. and a dense smoke 

 is developed by means of burning damp grass. 

 The sheets of rubber remain in this smoke 

 or three days and get 

 dry. They are then 

 pressed into small squares weighing 

 about S'/z pounds. These are placed in 

 another formaline solution for a shorter 

 time and then taken again to the smok- 

 ing house for a final drying. The rub- 

 ber is allowed to retain about 5 per cent, 

 of water when it is shipped, experience 

 showing that it dries out on the way 

 and that it keeps much better. The 

 square blocks are packed in smooth fin- 

 ished cases made expressly for them. 



Regarding the cost price of rubber 

 nothing absolutely definite, in Mr. Gier- 

 ling's opinion, can be said as so much 

 depends upon wages and weather. He 

 found that 1909 with a small yield per 

 tree but with generally favorable wea- 

 ther and low tapping expenses his rub- 

 ber cost him when put on board the 

 steamer at Sourabaya about 16 cents per 

 pound. The following year with a 

 larger yield per tree but with very un- 

 favorable weather and higher wages for 

 tapping his rubber cost him 23 cents 

 per pound, averaging about 20 cents a 

 pound for the two years. 



RUBBER AND BALATA NOTES FROM BRITISH 

 GUIANA. 



house 

 about 



for two 

 one-half 



DiAGR.^M Showing 

 Castilloa Tapping. 



THE LIFE OF TAXICAB TIRES. 



In a report of the Vienna Chamber of Commerce, an interest- 

 ing calculation is quoted as to the consumption of rubber involved 

 by the extension of taxicabs. The distance covered every day 

 by a "taximeter" is estimated as about 60 miles, making on the 

 basis of 250 working days, about 15,000 miles a year. The life 

 of a set of tires being from 4,000 to 6,000 miles, this rate of wear 

 representing for each cab three to four sets a year. At 45 pounds 

 a set, the annual consumption per cab would equal 135 to 180 

 pounds of rubber. 



A BOOK for everybody interested in tires — "Rubber Tires and 

 All About Them"— this office. 



(By Our Special Correspondent.) 



ONE of the more recent New York rubber importers, in 

 order to be sure of a supply of balata, has acquired 

 numerous grants within a year, and is now shipping by 

 each outgoing steamer two or more tons of sheet balata. It 

 might be added, at this juncture, that American importers or 

 brokers, as a whole, hav« not gone into rubber culture (with 

 the possible exception of Central America), whereas American 

 manufacturers are planting or contemplating planting both in 

 British Guiana and the Far East. 



There is a royalty of 2 cents a pound both on rubber and 

 balata, but it is well to mention that on the latter there is also 

 an export duty of 2 cents a pound imposed only this year. In 

 other words 4 cents is collected by the Government on each 

 pound of balata leaving the colony. 



Considering the heavy yield of a balata tree and the vast area* 

 of Crown Land given over to the licensees at a small fee, there 

 should be no cause for complaint. 



On the other hand on account of the disappointing yield of the 

 wild and cultivated Sapium rubber trees, the suggestion of an 

 American planter, that some assurance be given that no future 

 export duty should be imposed on rubber, is certainly within 

 the bounds of reason. In fact it is believed if the present royalty 

 of 2 cents per pound on rubber were abolished the colony would 

 benefit thereby. Certainly Ceylon is prosperous enough without 

 a duty on rubber and why not encourage capital into such a 

 favored spot as this? 



That British Guiana has carried off the prize at the Rubber 

 Exposition for the best cultivated rubber (and of the Para 

 variety) in the West Indies, is cause for continual rejoicing by 

 rubber men and by the local press. It is to be hoped that Amer- 

 ican magazine writers will please take notice that growing Para 

 rubber has passed the doubtful stage in British Guiana. 



The labor question is causing some of the newer English com- 

 panies engaged in balata production some anxiety. The negro 

 balata bleeders have been absconding with money advances and 

 with supplies more than ever before. The laborer argues that 

 some of the land has no balata trees and he cannot remain way 

 back in the bush and starve. It is whispered cautiously that 

 some of the balata companies floated at the height of the boom 

 were saddled by local promoters with poor grants. The old time 

 merchants, it is said, are still holding the best balata land and 

 making money. 



There is no complaint with the coolies on the rubber planta- 

 tions, which are progressing as fast as seeds are obtainable. 



There has been an association of balata companies formed to 

 try to correct the absconding "nigger" bleeders. On account of 

 the troubles this year with balata bleeders the output will be 

 short. 



RETIREMENT OF SIR F. HODGSON. 



More than the merely formal appreciation of his services is 

 being expressed in regard to the impending expiry of Sir Fred- 

 eric Hodgson's term of office as Governor of British Guiana. 

 During the past seven years he has succeeded in freeing the 

 colony of the floating debt under which it had been struggling, 

 and which at one time amounted to upwards of $800,000. In 

 pursuance of his policy of encouraging the people to take to the 

 land, a Government Committee over which he presided, recently 

 decided to recommend the establishment of agricultural loan 

 banks or co-operative credit institutions. 



Under his administration, sugar has continued the chief in- 

 dustry of the country, while the export of diamonds is regainmg 

 its old position and is making up for the decline in shipments 

 of gold. Balata and rubber have made considerable progress; 

 the railway survey made last year having been intended to pro- 

 mote these and other industries, by a knowledge of the resources 



